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La Sagrada Família
If you have time for only one sightseeing outing, this should be it. La Sagrada Família in-
spires awe by its sheer verticality, and, in the manner of the medieval cathedrals it emulates,
it's still under construction after more than 100 years. When completed, the highest tower
will be more than half as high again as those that stand today.
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Cultura Travel / Matt Dutile / Getty IMAGES ©
A Holy Mission
TheTempleExpiatoridelaSagradaFamília(ExpiatoryTempleoftheHolyFamily)wasAn-
toni Gaudí's all-consuming obsession. Given the commission by a conservative society that
wishedtobuildatemple asatonement forthecity'ssinsofmodernity,Gaudísawitscomple-
tion as his holy mission. As funds dried up, he contributed his own, and in the last years of
his life he was never shy of pleading with anyone he thought a likely donor.
Gaudí devised a temple 95m long and 60m wide, able to seat 13,000 people, with a central
tower 170m high above the transept (representing Christ) and another 17 of 100m or more.
The 12 along the three facades represent the Apostles, while the remaining five represent the
Virgin Mary and the four evangelists. With his characteristic dislike for straight lines (there
